Fast bowler Michael Whitney was a favourite among Australian and NSW cricket
fans for both his sense of humour and whole-hearted approach to the game. He
made his Test debut when surprisingly called up in 1981 but played almost all of his matches for Australia in the late 1980s and early '90s, and overall could be considered unlucky not to have played more than 12 Tests over his long career. His greatest success at international level came in 1991-92, when he claimed his Test-best (4 for 68 and 7 for 27) in the fifth Test against India. That summer he was also Australia's highest wicket-taker and most economical bowler in the World Cup. Whitney became a much-celebrated No. 11 batsman in the 1987 Boxing Day Test, surviving 18 deliveries and defying Richard Hadlee to help secure a draw against New Zealand. He has enjoyed a successful media career since retiring from cricket.
Anthony Fallick